Volunteer NY firefighter says she was plied with alcohol and raped as part of 'birthday present' to fire chief

A volunteer firefighter and medic in Wantagh, New York is alleging she was plied with alcohol and served up to be raped by Wantagh Fire Department Chief Kenneth Kelly Jr. and one other firefighter as a "birthday present," according to a report by The Daily Beast on Thursday.

"The fire medic — who is trained as a firefighter and an EMT — is now suing 51-year-old Kelly and 28-year-old Wantagh FD Engine 7 Captain Josef Seier, accusing the pair of physically and sexually assaulting her last year. She requested a jury trial and unspecified damages from Kelly, Seier, and the Wantagh Fire Department, according to a civil lawsuit obtained by The Daily Beast," reported Justin Rohrlich.

Her lawyer, Vesselin Mitev, said, “She’s had these extraordinary feelings of humiliation, shame, she can’t sleep. She was brutally assaulted by two people who she considered friends, and not only colleagues, but her superiors. That has made her reconsider whether she’ll ever again be able to do the thing she most enjoyed doing, helping others.”

The woman's name has not been released, to protect her identity.

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"The allegations against Kelly and Seier stem from the evening of Jan. 14, 2022, when the woman arrived at Wantagh FD Station #4 around 9:30 for a gathering to celebrate Seier's birthday, according to the lawsuit, which was filed Thursday in Nassau County Supreme Court," said the report. "When she got there, the woman was 'immediately served and continuously overserved with multiple alcoholic drinks' by Kelly and Seier, the lawsuit states. They both 'encouraged' her to knock back various different liquors, including Malibu rum and a spirit called 'Black Death,' it says, going on to allege fire district officials had been previously warned that male firefighters in Wantagh preying on intoxicated female members was 'a recurrent ongoing problem.'"

According to the lawsuit, once the fire station was cleared out, Seier "began forcing himself" upon her, kissing her against her will, demanding she submit. She slipped in and out of consciousness, but was aware of Kelly and Seier pulling off her clothing, Kelly bending her over a sink and penetrating her "unprotected," and Seier forcing her to perform oral sex.

This is not the first accusation of sexual predation within the ranks of New York State firefighters. In 2018, one FDNY Black firefighter alleged he was sexually assaulted on his first day as part of a homoerotic hazing ritual at a fire station near Lincoln Center.